Beyond Death
by TheWyrm
Summary: On his return trip from the Sinnoh League, Ash's boat is attacked by Team Rocket. Ash is saved from death by divine intervention. He escapes from the wreckage to the colonized regions with no pokemon, and a plan to rip apart Team Rocket member by member. And to see Dawn again. Rated M for violence in later chapters and possible lemon scenes.
1. It All Begins With A Death

_Chapter 1:_

Ash stared across the water from the bow of the boat. The sunset was sparkling against the water, painting the sky a rosy pink, and the sea a tangerine orange. Pikachu rubbed up against his legs.

"Pika!" He chirped happily. Ash reached down and picked Pikachu up, cuddling with the electric mouse pokémon.

"We were so close buddy…" Ash whispered forlornly.

"Pika…" After being defeated by Tobias during the Sinnoh league, Ash planned to go home to Pallet Town, visit with his mother, and wait for the next journey. He turned towards the ferry, a feeling of success flowing through him. He gave Dawn one last high-five.

"No need to worry, Ash!" She said, just as cheerily as usual, except for a hint of sadness. Ash smiled, not willing to believe that it might be their last time meeting. "I'll become the top coordinator in Sinnoh, you'll see!" Ash nodded.

"Of course you will! I know it!" He then stepped towards the ramp. Suddenly, the usher stopped him with a hand.

"I apologize, sir, but pokémon are to remain in pokéballs at all times on the ferry." The man wore the typical blue jacket of an usher, and the blue cap sat snuggly on his head. Ash looked up towards the man's face, which was covered by the brim of his cap.

"What do you mean? Pikachu can't walk with me?" The man, eyes shadowed under brim, shook his head.

"That is correct sir. Again, I apologize." Pikachu looked up at Ash, small frown tugging on his features. Ash sighed, and returned Pikachu to his pokéball. The usher moved his arm from the ramp, and Ash noticed with a small sense of surprise that the man had only four fingers. The usher was missing his right pinkie. Ash hurried up the ramp, tucking Pikachu's pokéball into his belt. There were others on the boat, of course, all going to Sinnoh, like Ash. He wondered idly if they were going home to their mother's as well. He smiled at the thought of seeing his mother again after almost a year. The boat's foghorn sounded above, and it lazily crawled away from the dock. Ash ran to the back of the deck, leaning out over the back end, towards the land. There, amongst the bustle on the dock, was that white beaning he was looking for.

"Dawn!" He called out. Dawn whirled around, gazing out across the water like Ash had done. "No need to worry!" He called out across the expanse. She waved, and he imagined that he saw her smile. Suddenly, he had the urge to swim to her, to stay with her just one more night, to say goodnight just one more time. He went so far as to brace his hands against the rail, but stopped himself. The next boat didn't leave for a week, and his mother was waiting for him, anyway. Ash's arms relaxed, and he released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. With a sense of great loss he didn't quite understand, Ash retired to his bunk in the bowels of the ship. He slept in a bed for the first time in a year. He slept so deeply, in fact, that he didn't hear the rumbling of the engines, or the ever-so-quiet tick-tock that faintly sounded from every vent.

 _~lnnl~_

Ash was thrown from his bed, hull shuddering around him. His ears rung from some loud noise. He heard the sound of water rushing, and slowly stood up. His legs were shaky, and he had landed on his left arm strangely. Ash watched as the floor slowly tilted throwing him once again off balance. He slammed into the wall next to the door. The desk in the room slid towards the same wall he was against. He pulled his legs up just in time, now lying up against the wall. The desk slammed against the wall, throwing the door open. Ash watched in horror as his possessions slid towards the open door. He lunged for his belt, stomach clenching up in fear. His fingers brushed against the fabric, but his most prized possession literally slipped through his fingers. He opened his mouth to scream, to cry, but his throat closed up from fear and sadness. Then, the water rushed up through the door, bubbling up in a malicious surge. It filled the room quickly, and Ash sucked in air just as the water rose over his head. He was tossed around the room by the vicious current. The blanket from his bed wrapped around his right arm and torso, binding the two together. Ash thrashed about, a burning slowly developing in his torso. He saw his wallet shoot past his eyes, and the pain in his chest crescendoed. He opened his mouth and painfully inhaled a lungful of water

 _I'm drowning,_ was all he could think. Slowly, his vision blackened, and his thrashing became less violent. Then, a dark miasma appeared before him. He felt as though he was peacefully floating, and felt that he could breath again. Everything around him was silent. Then, a Darkrai appeared before him. Then, the Darkrai spoke.

"Hello, Ash Ketchum." Ash couldn't speak.

 _So this is death_ , he thought. _Just hallucinations for eternity…_ The Darkrai continued speaking.

"I am here to take you away to the afterlife. Yes, I am _a_ Darkrai, but I am also _the_ Darkrai. There's a difference. I am the first. The divine. Collector's edition, if you want to think about it that way. Lugia wanted to be your patron, but I challenged him to Rock-Paper-Scissors. He agreed, then immediately realised he could only do paper with his flippers, but I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Anyway, you are going to die here. I would normally just take you away to eternal rest, but I am really impressed with how you defeated my kin. You saved him, seeing as Tobias released the Darkrai after you defeated him. Excellent work, by the way. Now, seeing as you are super special, Arceus's 'Chosen' and all that jazz, I am giving you a choice. Come with me now, or never die until I decide that you have redeemed your death. I mean, of course, that you make my resurrection worthwhile by bettering the world and the significantly shorter lives of those around you. The choice is up to you." Ash thought about the offer. The pain was still blossoming in his chest, a pain so pure he could barely think. He wanted it to stop. He opened his mouth to answer, but then he saw it. It was his wallet, a simple fold of leather, floating motionless in the water. But peeking out of the simple pouch of cloth and leather, was a picture. A laminated picture, so it was waterproof, but Ash was only concerned with what the picture was of… or more accurately, who. It was a picture of Dawn, from her first competition as a coordinator. Ash closed his mouth, taking a minute to notice how adorable Dawn looked. He thought of being on the road with her and Brock, but especially of her. He thought of lying next to her in their sleeping bags, listening to her breathe, in and out, in and out… Ash turned back to Darkrai.

"I want…" He thought carefully. Darkrai conveyed no emotion, but spoke before Ash could finish.

"You want to come, don't you. Good choice… Excellent choice, really. That's what everyone picks. I'm not really surprised." Ash shook his head, decision made.

"I want to stay." Darkrai froze, and looked intently at Ash.

"Are you absolutely sure? You won't get to change any time soon." Ash nodded, steeling his resolve. Darkrai let out what Ash could only call a sigh. "Alright, Ashy. Get ready, cause even if you can't die, you can still feel everything." Darkrai drifted through the water, silver hair floating ethereally behind him. "This is about the girl, Dawn, isn't it?" Ash nodded. Darkrai looked deep into Ash's eyes. "Ash, it's entirely possible that you will out-live this girl. That you will live on after she has withered away to nothing. Are you absolutely, positively sure that this is what you want?" Ash nodded.

"I just have a few things I need to know." Darkrai didn't speak, and so Ash took that as permission to speak. "Will I age?" Darkrai nodded. Ash sighed with relief. "Okay." The thought of being with Dawn until he was old scared him, but also made him strangely… Happy. "Finally," Ash paused, and again Darkrai waited for his response. "Can I have the wallet and the picture?" Darkrai held out the wallet.

"Of course. When you take the wallet, I'll be gone. But when your mind is calm, and you ask for me, I will be there. Also, something else you need to know." This time, Ash was the silent one waiting for a response. Darkrai's eyes turned up in what looked like a smile. A twisted smile. "Team Rocket was responsible for the bomb on the ferry. This was a scheme to steal pokémon." With that, Darkrai thrust the wallet into Ash's left hand, and all the chaos returned to his senses. His chest burned even more ferociously, but he persevered. He unwrapped the blanket with just his left hand while still gripping his wallet and the precious photograph inside. He swam through the halls, past closed doors and a cart with small snacks floating around it. Ash burst up onto the surface minutes later, coughing up blood and water. He could feel his lungs emptying and simultaneously repairing themselves. It was uncomfortable to say the least. He looked around, and saw the lights of divers down in the water, amongst the wreckage fifty feet below. The boat had apparently sunk directly onto a large sandbar. Nothing a floating boat would ever think twice about, but close enough to the surface for easy recovery. Ash finally saw the boat, black and emblazoned with a red R. He climbed up onto the deck, clothes dripping onto the cold boards. For once, he was glad that he had worn his dirty clothes to bed. He shivered in the cold sea wind. He began to walk to warm up, and to try to think.

 _What am I going to do?_ He thought to himself. _They will never take me with them…_ Then, faintly outlined by the light of the moon, he saw it. It was the metal edge to a space in the hull of the boat. _A strongbox._ Ash realized. He didn't know how he knew, the thought just popped into his head. He lifted the circular handle and yanked it open. The door swung open easily, with a slight creak of rust. He lowered himself into the dusty space slowly. It was warm, wet and dark. He laid down in the dank place, and pulled out of his soaked jeans, his ruined wallet. Slowly, reverently, he pulled out the photo of Dawn. It had been laminated so as not to be ruined by water. He stared at the blue-haired girl in the photo, and a single tear ran down his cheek. He soon fell asleep, and was tormented by dreams of drowning, only he wasn't himself. Ash, instead was a small yellow mouse. And before he woke up, he watched a raven-haired youth swim up, into the light of the moon.

 _~lnnl~_

 **And that's the first chapter of my new fic, Beyond Death. Questions, comments, and criticisms are all appreciated. I hope you enjoyed. I will try to upload once every week or so, but that may be stressed or even broken a little bit. This is TheWyrm signing out for the first time ever!**


	2. Rosy Sand

_Chapter 2:_

The jolt and scraping sound of the boat being dragged ashore pierced Ash's slumber. He could hear the men's voices through the boards of the boat. Ash lay in the small space in total silence, eyes shut tightly.

 _Why not attack?_ The voice was in his head, like a thought, only it wasn't Ash's thought. _I told you, you just need to clear your head Ash. You don't need them! They might as well have killed you themselves! Get revenge. Don't worry about your body. Any potentially fatal wounds will heal over immediately, except, of course, when you have redeemed your resurrection._ Ash opened his eyes. The men were still telling each other what they were going to do with their reward money once they got back to HQ, wherever that was.

"I'm telling you Frank, I'm going straight to a club. Booze and titties, my two favorite things in one place. Either of you idiots interested?" The voice was deep and rumbling. Another responded, this one higher pitched, possibly even more so than Ash's own.

"I'm going to pass on this one, Joey. But I'm sure Amanda here would love to go see some titties and drink beer with you." A woman scoffed.

"No thank you. I'm going to get another assignment. Gotta build up that nest egg." Ash couldn't believe it. These people had just finished rummaging through the possessions of corpses. They might have even taken some objects off the freshly deceased. Ash's temper flared up. He pushed his hand against the trapdoor, and threw it open. It slammed against the deck with a deafening bang. The three grunts swore, jumped or fell over. Ash stood up, back aching with every move. His hair and clothes were still wet from the spray and waves that had splashed over the rail and into the strongbox. He clenched his fists and stepped up to the deck. The three goons yanked pokéballs from their belts. Ash jumped down into the sand with a dull thump. Words could not express the rage he was feeling. The henchmen released their pokémon one at a time. A Houndoom and two Weezings.

 _How original..._ Ash thought to himself.

"Poison Gas!" The two Weezing trainers called out in unison. The Weezings exhaled the toxic gas in a streams, engulfing Ash in a rancid cloud that burned his eyes and lungs. It reminded him of drowning. He coughed once, but trudged up the beach slowly.

"Inferno!" The Houndoom released a spiral of flames into the gas. Ignition happened immediately, and Ash felt as though he was being burnt alive. The pain was everywhere, and immense. He screamed, and he knew that he preferred drowning. The flames remained in the air as the highly complex gas deteriorated to less complex, still flammable gasses. He strode through the fireball, much to the terror of the Team Rocket goons waiting for him on the other side. Clothes ablaze, skin charred black but healing, He stepped into the clear air on the other side of the inferno. The thugs were astonished, and all Ash could do was smile at them.

"This is going to hurt," was all he said.

 _~lnnl~_

Ash wiped the blood off of his knuckles. The unconscious goons had been placed on their own boat and set adrift with no engine, no pokémon, and a leak. Ash had released the pokémon by smashing their pokéballs. He had taken the black pants and grey boots of the smaller male grunt, and the shirt as well. To hide the red R, Ash doused his blackened jacket in the ocean, and wore it over the black shirt and his white undershirt. Finally, he took the black beret from the woman, pulling it low over his unruly hair. Once more, he pulled out the picture of Dawn. The corner was singed now, due to the blast, but the image was intact. He slipped it into the pocket of his new pants. With a sigh, Ash climbed up the small embankment onto the coast-side route. To his left was a small house with an enormous yard. Ash began to walk towards it as the reality of what he had done hit him. He had brutally murdered three people. He thought back to the fight…

" _This is going to hurt." The Houndoom growled threateningly, and the Weezings breathed in and out slowly. Ash's clothes were still on fire slightly._

" _Houndoom, use Bite!" The Houndoom lunged forward. Ash dove to his left, rolling and kicking up sand. Instead of attacking the Houndoom, he jumped towards the female trainer. She fell back in surprise, and Ash jumped on top of her. He punched her face again and again._

" _You killed them!" With every syllable, Ash readjusted the woman's head before punching her again. "All of them! Then you just took their shit!" The woman's nose was bleeding and was bent at a strange angle. A small stream of blood trickled from her mouth. He brought his blood-smeared hand back for one more punch, but the Houndoom bit down on his wrist. Ash let out a small cry of pain. He stood, staring the Houndoom in its eyes. The other grunts were still in shock, slowly backing away. Their mouths opened and closed like Magikarps. Ash punched the Moundoom in the nose. It released his wrist with a whimper, and skittered away. The wound it left on Ash's hand bled. It ran down his arm and fell in drips to stain the sand a rosy pink. Ash advanced towards the men. They tried to command their pokémon, but the Weezings were too afraid to do anything. As he walked, Ash felt his wrist slowly scab over, then heal to leave a U-shaped scar. He smiled at them. They tried to run, but he caught the collars of their shirts. Ash wrenched the men back, throwing them down in the sand._

" _No, please man." The thinner man begged. "If you want some money, we got a bonus coming in from work." Ash stood still._

" _How much money," he whispered half to himself and half to the men. "How much money would you wager my life is worth?" The men looked at each other._

" _What? What do you mean?" Ash growled like an animal. They cowered in the sand. Ash stepped on the side of the smaller man's foot, twisting his ankle painfully and making him call out in pain._

" _I said," Ash growled. "How much is my life worth to you?" When no one answered, Ash leaned down and punched the man's stomach as hard as he could in the stomach. The man's eyes bulged and he breathed out sharply. Then Ash crouched down, straddling the man's chest and pinning him to the sand. "Don't you get it, you dense motherfucker?" Ash grabbed the man's face between his hands. "You killed me." Suddenly, the larger man rolled over and began to run away. Ash burst from his crouch and tackled the man. They fell near the rocky shore. Ash picked up a rock and smashed the man's head. Then he did it again… And again. Finally, he dropped the rock and turned around. The smaller man was limping away, foot twisted. Ash slowly approached from behind before grabbing fist-fulls of the man's hair. Ash dragged him over to the beached boat slowly, ignoring the man's pleas for mercy. "I'm dead! Dead! Dead! Dead!" With every word, Ash slammed the man's head against the boat. Afterwards, Ash dropped the man, and let out a primal scream into the sky. It reverberated off the water, and sounded inhuman, like an injured predator. He loaded the bodies into the boat slowly, one at a time, and then used the rock to chip away slowly at the hull, until there was a small leak._

 _~lnnl~_

Dawn stood outside her hotel room in Canalave City, staring across the water, imagining Ash staring across at her too. Ever since he had left, all she could think about was him. He commanded all her attention, and she gave it willingly. She wanted to hear him say goodnight again. Hear him breath in and out, in and out, so close she could touch him… She sighed to herself. He would never know though, because they might never see each other again. Suddenly, piercing through the night, a voice rang through the wilderness.

"I'm dead! Dead! Dead! Dead!" After the last word, a brief moment of silence, before a blood-curdling scream ripped through the night. Dawn shivered at the scream and retreated into her room. Before sliding in to bed, she locked her windows and doors.

 _Just to be safe_ , she thought to herself. She then fell asleep, and dreamt of being with Ash again, only this time, Ash slept next to her with his arms around her, but his eyes were all black.

 _~lnnl~_

 **And that's a wrap! Sorry for the shorter chapter, but it's wicked late, and even I need sleep. All you beautiful bastards leave your feedback, because it only takes a second, and it helps me improve. This is TheWyrm, signing out.**


	3. The Following Morning

_Chapter 3:_

Susanne liked to think that she was prepared for anything. She prided herself on it, seeing as she ran a business for pokémon trainers.

"They're a surprising lot, them," her mother always said. "Never just training to train. Always running to or from something." Susanne had taken that advice to heart, then immediately forgotten it when she married her husband Martin. He used to be a fiery tempered pokémon trainer, and they often went weeks or even months without seeing each other. She would beg him, just a one week break. Then it became a month. Then a year. After their third year, Martin proposed. But nothing, not forty years with Martin, could prepare her for the day that she found a dirty, bloody sleeping boy in their guest room. He was lying perfectly rigid on the guest bed, face scrunched up. She didn't know what to do or say. She opened the door slowly, and his eyes flew open. He somehow launched from the bed, and stood in the center of the room, staring. She gasped. His eyes were totally black. Susanne closed the door quickly, and ran back down the hallway. She heard the door fly open behind her, and she sped up even more. Her heart pounded, her breath tugged in her throat, and her feet ached.

 _I am so out of shape,_ she thought to herself. The boys footsteps slammed down the hall after her. She called out.

"Martin!" she screeched hysterically. "Martin!" She slammed into the door to her bedroom, and it launched open. There was Martin, still bleary-eyed from sleep, but, nevertheless, holding the net gun they used on their occasional safari. Susanne jumped out of the way quickly, and the gun launched with a dull _whump_. The boy was launched back against the wall, and the weights on the net punched holes through the drywall and held the net firmly in place. The boy's eyes had returned to normal, but Susanne still shivered as she recalled the black eyes. Martin pulled a pokéball from a small drawer, enlarged it, and released a Pikachu. The large mouse landed with a thud on the wooden floor. It yawned lazily, staring at its surroundings. The boy strained against the net, but it was caught in the wall. Martin approached the youth slowly at first. Martin looked the younger man in the eyes. They stared back, but they seemed scared.

"Please," the boy croaked out. "I just needed a place to rest. My boat…" The young man's voice cracked slightly. "All those people…" Martin examined the youth carefully. The boy was covered in blood, and wearing Team Rocket apparel. Martin filled with rage.

"Like hell you did," was all Martin said. He jabbed the boy in the chest with his finger. "That there's a Rocket R." The boy's chocolate brown eyes widened.

"It's not like that! Honest! I stole these!" Martin chuckled.

"Sure ya' did. What's yer name, thief?" The boy breathed heavily.

"I'm Ash. Or at least I was…" Martin raised his eyebrows and chuckled. He turned to Susanne.

 _Call Jenny,_ Martin mouthed. Susanne nodded, and rushed from the room. Ash looked panicked now.

"Lift up my shirt," he blurted suddenly. Martin swiveled on his heel. This kid was mental.

"Excuse me?" Martin asked. Ash struggled his arms back into the net. He lifted the black shirt up, revealing his stomach and sides. It was bubbly and rugged, and slightly warped. The shape and general tone of his body was preserved, but the skin was slightly warped. The entire lower torso was completely covered, but, as Martin watched, the edges and less-defined sections of the burns healed and became smooth again. Martin's eyes widened. The boy smiled forlornly.

"See? This isn't even the worst of it. It's been healing all night. Martin raised his eyebrows, still transfixed by the healing scars. "Now…" Ash's voice wrenched Martin's attention back to the events at hand. "I'll tell you everything, but first, you need to let me down."

 _~lnnl~_

Ash took a sip of the coffee Susanne had prepared for him, finally finishing his story when he had snuck into Martin and Susanne's home. They sat, transfixed by the tale he was spinning before them. Susanne set down her coffee as well.

"So wait, Ash," Ash raised his eyebrows as a signal that she could continue. His hair was still damp from the shower her had taken, and the Rocket Grunt clothes fit loosely, and were patched up slightly by Susanne. "You came back from the dead, refused Death itself, just for a woman?" Ash smiled and nodded. Susanne swatted Martin's shoulder. "See that, you hunk of bricks? That's dedication!" Martin coughed and took another sip of coffee.

"But what I don't understand," Martin began. Ash drank the rest of the coffee in one gulp. He set the mug down lightly. "What I don't understand is, why did you kill those men?" Ash sighed.

"Because, sir, Team Rocket has hounded me my whole life." Martin chuckled and muttered something into his coffee. Ash ignored it. "Also, this girl has as well. Dawn, by the way. Her name is Dawn." Ash looked forlornly into his empty cup. Susanne took the hint and offered him more. "Dawn and I toured across Sinnoh together. I can't go back to her with them around every corner. I could never sleep, knowing I had them power to stop them- all of them, mind you- from ever doing anything bad ever again." Martin thought for a second.

"That's a valid point, kid, but…" He paused for a moment. "You also stop them from ever doing anything good. They will now never have the opportunity to repent, to fix their mistakes." Ash nodded slowly, and Susanne returned with a steaming cup of coffee. Ash took the mug appreciatively.

"Sir, this is the only way I can think that will stop them forever. Just imagining letting one of those scumbags go makes my stomach churn, especially picturing what they could do. I was either really smart, or incredibly stupid. Many other people aren't going to do the same thing that I did. They die for good. All their pokémon… All their achievements, all of it, gone… Imagine that. You're cut short. No achievement, no remembrance. Nothing to acknowledge your existence except a rock. A rock with a name, and two dates. Every breath, every kiss, every battle, every conversation… Two dates…" There was a knock at the door, and it was Officer Jenny. Susanne rushed to answer.

"You called, ma'am?" Susanne nodded.

"I did, officer. There was an intruder, but this fine young gentleman here scared him away." Susanne turned and pointed to Ash as she said this, and Jenny nodded.

"Alright then. Good work-" Officer Jenny stopped in the middle of her praise. "Hey now, have I seen you anywhere?" Ash shook his head. He had never met this Jenny before. "I swear I've seen you before… Have you met any of my sisters or cousins?" Ash nodded.

"Yes officer, I've met many of them." Jenny grunted.

"I'll figure it out eventually." She said her goodbyes, then hopped on her motorcycle and sped off down the road south. Ash watched after her, then sat bolt-upright in his chair. Down the road, there was a group of people approaching. Ash could just make out, in the group, a white beanie. He stiffened, feeling conflicted. He could tell them he was alive, but if he did that, he was unsure he could leave to destroy Team Rocket. He turned to Martin and Susanne, who looked very confused.

"I'm flattered by your patronage, and I hate to take and run, but that's her, and my friends." Martin looked confused.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ash shook his head, chugging the rest of his coffee.

"No, because if I get caught up with them again, I won't be able to continue working against Team Rocket." Martin looked deep into Ash's eyes. Ash stared right back.

"Alright, go through that door there, and wait until they leave. After they do, I'll teach you a few things to help you on your way, but only if you promise me something." Ash nodded

"Anything."

"You need to promise me that you won't wait too long to go to her. You get your shit done, then you tell her. Alright?" Ash nodded, then rushed to the door. He flung it open, and rushed onto the stairs to Martin and Susanne's basement. He shut it just as there was a knock at the front door.

 _~lnnl~_

Susanne answered the door with her usual smile. There was a small group of kids standing there. Although she appeared relaxed, she was frantically scanning for the blue-haired girl with the white beanie. She was standing, smiling in the center of the group. Susanne welcomed them into her house, making the usual introductions, trying to sell Martin and her breeding program. The younger boy with glasses and blue hair was slightly disturbed, the girl with brown hair and a red shirt looked mortified, and only the larger tan man seemed to understand what she was saying. She cut the pitch short, realising she hadn't the faintest chance of convincing them.

"Oh well," she sighed. "Anyway, what are all of you doing, wandering about at this hour?"

"We're going to participate in a pokémon tournament. We're hoping to see an old friend there." A red-headed girl spoke up, and the rest nodded. Susanne nodded and managed a smile. Martin could tell that his wife was struggling to keep Ash's secret. He stood up, and touched his wife's shoulders.

"Honey, are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, sweetie, I feel fine."

"Are you sure? Why don't you go lie down?" Susanne thought, then, realization dawning on her face, she nodded furiously.

"Okay," she said, gently pushing through the group of kids. Martin turned and walked over to the battered green couch, and slowly sat down.

"You kids can sleep up in the guest rooms if need be, and help yourselves to the food in the pantry." He sipped his coffee and turned on the television. Breaking news flashed across the screen. The screen was filled with the sight of a ship, deep under water. There were diver's lights around and inside it, and the reporter's voice sounded over the eerie footage.

"-Was discovered in international water by the frequency emitted by its black box. The guest list has informed authorities as to who was present on the boat, and divers are actively retrieving bodies. It appears there were no survivors. The passenger list included…" The reporter droned on and on. Everyone waited around the television with curiosity. The taller, tan man spoke up.

"Isn't that Ash's boat?" The entire party was silent. They waited with bated breath.

"And finally," the group leaned forward, all holding their breath. "The final passenger was Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town in Kanto." The friends were all thunderstruck. Dawn's mind was spinning.

 _I knew we would never see each other again,_ she thought numbly. Martin switched the television off. The group all spoke in hushed tones and Martin was able to slip away.

"Holler if you need anything'," he said. "I'll be in the workshop. Please don't come down there, it's sensitive work." With that, he opened the door to the basement, and descended into darkness as a cloud crossed across the sun.

 _~lnnl~_

 **Alright, guys, there's another chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it, because I loved writing it. All you beautiful bastards leave a review with questions, comments, advice, just general review stuff. With that said, this is TheWyrm, signing out.**


	4. Black Eyes

**Okay. I know this is weird and a little unorthodox, but I am taking over another author's story. I found out that this guy was my close friend, but he wasn't writing anymore because he didn't have the time. The author was PetrousFic. I'm thinking of taking over the story (the re-do, anyway) Rise of the Silver Guardians. We haven't decided finally, mainly because you, the reader, should have a say in what I write. I do write for you, after all. If you haven't read it, I highly suggest it. My buddy told me his ideas for the story, and I actually thought it had some potential. It's a story and shipping I can get behind, so I think the final result is up to you guys. So leave a review of what you think. Seriously. Yeah, you, Fan. You're that person without an account. Just leave a review anonymously. Let me know what you think. I, personally, would love to do it. That's my PSA, so, without further ado, I present to you the fourth installment of Beyond Death.**

 **(PS: For the tournament section of the story, please submit some OCs. They might not be permanent parts of the story, but they are really appreciated.)**

 _Chapter 4:_

Ash looked through the dark bag once more. Toothbrush, toothpaste, some pokéballs, and an ID. It was fake, reading _Ashura Satoshi_. There was also an extra pair of socks and some underwear. That was what Susanne packed. Martin, ever the gritty realist, as he said, packed a machete tied to the side of the pack, and a long belt of smoke grenades "for dramatic entrances and exits" as he put it. Ash thought back on the week of training with Martin, surprised at all he had learned. He had learned about pokémon breeding, stealth, espionage, computer hacking, and hand-to-hand combat. The basics of all of them, but Martin said that was all he needed to know

"You can teach yourself. And if you get caught…" Martin chuckled. "You got that respawn to look forward to." With that, Martin poked Ash in his fully healed stomach. The two embraced each other, and Ash's eyes clouded over slightly. These were the type of people he was saving. Susanne approached Ash with tears in her eyes as well.

"Oh, Ash… I feel like I've known you for years. When you're finished with your… Mission… Come back with that Dawn girl. Take over the business for us." Ash nodded and smiled.

"I'll do you proud Susanne."

"Oh, and one more thing," Susanne stopped Ash's departure. Susanne smiled like a proud mother. "She's a keeper." Ash nodded once again. Martin pulled Ash in for another hug.

"Look near the mailbox," Martin whispered to Ash. Ash stepped away from the embrace, Martin smiling like nothing had happened. Ash stepped from the house, waving behind him. Near the mailbox was a parcel, and a brown and cream coloured egg. Ash grabbed them both, and set off towards Floaroma Town, and ultimately Eterna City, where the tournament was being held. "I'm coming for you, Team Rocket."

"Where there are pokémon, Team Rocket will be there to steal them." He said to himself again and again. But deep down in his heart, he wished his friends would learn about him, and that Dawn would run to him, throw her arms around him, and they would… Ash shook his head. Martin had told him about more than fighting skills. He shuddered thinking about the models and diagrams. Despite Ash's want to forget, he could remember every detail of the past few days flawlessly.

Ash's thoughts rushing and whirling, he couldn't help but feel exhilarated at being on the road again.

 _~lnnl~_

Dawn walked like a zombie to Brock's first match. She dragged her feet sullenly, and Piplup had not been released from his pokéball in almost a week. Misty led her gently through the streets. All of the others were disappointed, even distraught at Ash's death, but they had gotten over it. But Dawn wasn't interested in the tournament anymore. All she wanted was to see Ash again. Hear him tease her again. She hadn't realised it before, but she was in love with Ash Ketchum. A quick video-chat with her mother had opened her mind to the reality. Dawn had decided to remain with her friends until the tournament was over, and then… Well she didn't know what she would do. The group arrived at the stadium. It was grand and opulent, and there was a chorus of voices echoing throughout the halls. The qualifiers barely warranted the attendance the later parts of the tournament, but no one could miss the opening ceremonies. The group filed into the stands, minus Brock, who was waiting on deck for the opening ceremonies. There were throngs of people in the stands, so many that some stood behind the last row. On the field, the announcer was testing the mic. The crowd quieted.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Eterna City! And welcome to the Eterna Tournament!" The roar of the applause was deafening. Almost every trainer in Sinnoh had come to participate. Rumour had it that the prizes for winning were much more valuable than the normal tournament's- possibly even pokémon prizes. The commentator waited for the applause to die down before he continued. "We have quite the lineup of trainers here today! We'll call them out one by one, how does that sound to everybody?" The crowd cheered wildly. "I can't hear you!" the crowd roared. All except one. A girl in a white beanie sat silently in her seat, staring at her shoes.

 _~lnnl~_

Ash arrived at Eterna City late in the day. Wandering through the city, he saw that most shops were empty of all people.

 _They must be at the tournament,_ he thought. He quickly located the Pokémon Centre and began walking towards it. He strode through the automatic doors, and Nurse Joy bowed and introduced herself.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Centre." Ash couldn't help but admire Nurse Joy's figure, with what Martin had told him. He shook his head slightly at himself.

"Hey there, Nurse Joy. I need to rent a room for the length of the tournament." Nurse Joy nodded, and leaned over the computer to her right. After typing on the keyboard, she held her hand out, palm up.

"ID please," she said cheerily. Ash placed the card in her well-manicured hand. She looked at it for a second, before applying the information by hand in the computer form. "Huh. A card ID. I almost took you for a trainer." Ash stiffened. For the first time, he remembered that Pikachu was gone. A single tear ran down his face, but he wiped it away before Nurse Joy could see. Finally, she pressed the enter key, and reached into her desk and pulled out a red and white key. "Alright, enjoy your stay!" Ash took the key.

"Nurse Joy?" Nurse Joy nodded. "Can you show me to my room?" Nurse Joy smiled.

"Of course I can!" She stepped from behind the counter, and Ash stepped back and let her take the lead. While her back was turned, Ash slid a small flash-drive into the USB port of the computer. A red light flashed on the drive, and Ash followed Nurse Joy down the hall a small way, stopping at the first wooden door, marked with 001. "This is your room, sweetie. Have a nice stay." Ash thanked her, and stepped into his room. It was quite small, with one bed, a desk and a small bathroom. He could touch the sink from the toilet, and the shower had a single curtain. Ash sat down at the desk, and pulled out his laptop. He also extracted an ethernet cable, which he plugged in to the wall and to his computer. As the computer booted up, he placed the pokémon egg on the desk left of the computer. He grabbed the parcel, and, before opening it, locked the door. He sat down, and tore away the brown paper surrounding the steel box. Ash examined the box. It was old; very old. He grabbed the lid and wrenched it off. Inside was a card and a layer of newspaper. Ash grabbed the card and opened it. He immediately recognized Martin's handwriting.

 _Ash,_

 _In this box are two items to help you on your journey. The first is an external hard drive. You plug it into the computer, and it grants you more storage. It can also be hidden, unlike the laptop itself. The second is the more important. It's a mask. I know you think you can't die, but you might as well not let them know that. To do that- to become immortal- you need to be something else; something other than Ash Ketchum, or Ashura Satoshi. You need to become something to be feared. The second item is a costume. Not a spandex costume; those are for losers, and you aren't a loser. A hoodie, some clothes (all black, of course) and finally, a mask. The mask is made of graphene, a nearly indestructible material. I can send you more later. I couldn't include more because I don't want Susanne to know I'm helping you kill people. E-mail or video chat me your address. Take care of yourself._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Martin_

Ash ripped away the newspaper, and revealed the mask. It was ghastly. It displayed an inhuman smile, and the eyes cast a dark reflection. Ash held it tenderly. The mask was edged with rubber to hold it close to his face, and the straps would wrap around and over the top of his head. He pulled out the clothes, which were form-fitting and tight. There was also a hoodie and a coat that went down to his ankles, but didn't interfere with his walking or running. He placed all the clothes back in the box with the mask, and opened the Program on his computer.

" _Data mining complete"_ it read. Ash opened the files, and clicked on the file labeled "Guest List." He then ran the faces through a background check filter Martin had given to him. Ash clicked okay, then stopped to think suddenly.

 _Where did Martin learn and get all this?_ Ash thought hard, but couldn't remember Martin mentioning anything similar to the items. Ash ran his hands through his hair and breathed out heavily. _Wherever he got it doesn't matter. It's going to take down Team Rocket._ Ash walked to the bathroom and turned on the water. He cleared his mind, except for one thought; _Come here_.

 _I am here._ Ash opened his eyes, staring into the mirror. He almost screamed. His heart missed a beat, and leaped up into his throat. His eyes were totally black. Ash swallowed hard, before speaking to Darkrai.

"What can I do?" was all Ash said.

 _Honestly? I have no idea what your limits are. There's only been one other person to ever deny death, and Arceus himself sponsored that one, so I don't know much. All I know is that you need to focus, and the more you've done it the easier it gets. Anything. You want to fly? Boom, it happens. Want to be invincible? Boom. You can even change your physical traits. Any more questions?_ Ash thought before responding.

"No" was all he said. His eyes cleared, and Ash got undressed for his shower, voice gone. He looked in the mirror, and something caught his eye. His chest and arms were more muscular than he remembered. Before, he had been toned, but now… He had heard Brock use the term "ripped" in reference to some muscular trainers. Ash smiled, and stepped into the shower.

 _~lnnl~_

Max ran in circles around the group as they walked to the Centre, Dawn dragging her feet as usual, quiet and sullen. Max was praising Brock profusely about his performance. May was berating him for his energeticness, and Misty was joining May's constant argument with Max. Brock was smiling slightly as he recalled his victory. He glanced back at Dawn, and slowly his smile disappeared. He could see it clearly now; Dawn had fallen in love with Ash. He sighed heavily. The group arrived at the Pokémon Centre as dinner was prepared at a buffet.

"Well, I've never seen this before!" May said, licking her lips eagerly. Brock nodded.

"It must be a new addition, seeing as this is a newer Pokémon Centre. I wonder what food-" Brock stopped his sentence short. As he was the tallest he could see over the crowd, and he could see something that caught his attention. It was a spiky assortment of raven-black hair. It moved smoothly across the buffet, and then moved through the crowd, and disappeared down the hallway that lead the the rooms for rent. Brock leaned over to look down the hall, and just saw the third door on the left swing closed.

"What's wrong Brock?" Misty asked. Brock shook his head.

"I miss him so much guys. I never expected it." The group fell silent. Dawn looked up at Brock.

"I miss him too Brock. I miss him a lot."

"I miss him a lot too. I was looking forward to battling him." Max chimed in. The group looked at each other. Brock nodded once.

"Let's, uh… Let's just eat guys…" They all sat down for a solemn dinner. Ash ate in his room, watching the green bar on his computer slowly fill again and again.

 _~lnnl~_

 **Alright, there's the fourth chapter. Leave a review telling me what you think, and be sure to let me know if I should take over PetrousFic's story or not. This is TheWyrm, signing out.**


	5. Dead To Me

_Chapter 5:_

Ash sat bolt upright in his Pokémon Centre room. The laptop's screen was shining with one word; _Done!_ Ash stretched, and the dirty plate clattered to the floor, fork bouncing across the room. He had dozed off until the computer had beeped. He peered at the digital time in the bottom right corner of the screen. It was 2:03. Ash rubbed his eyes, and reached out for the mouse pad. A name on the guest list had caught his eye. _Dawn Hikari_. Ash, hands shaking, clicked on her name. He swallowed hard. She was staying in room 017, one floor above him. He looked at the box of clothes, and the black, empty eyes of the mask stared back. He turned back to the list. He had a plan.

 _~lnnl~_

Dawn stared at the ceiling, as she had for the past four hours. Her thoughts swam in the same depressing circle always coming back to him. Always coming back to Ash. She felt tears coming on again. Her pillow and cheeks were already damp. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned on her side. When she opened them, a hand clamped down on her mouth. There was a figure towering over her, hand raised to his shadowed face, pointer finger extended. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled. The figure leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I'm not going to hurt you Dawn. I just want to talk. I'm going to remove my hand, but you need to be quiet. Blink twice if you understand." Dawn heard something familiar in the voice. She blinked once, then again. The man moved his hand, and Dawn sat up. The man sat on the end of the bed, face still hidden. She heard him sigh, and then he turned towards her. She couldn't see any part of his face, but something about him was familiar. "Dawn… I heard about your friend…" Dawn sighed and pulled her legs to her chest.

"He was more than my friend…" She said more to herself than to him. He sat up straighter.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Dawn noticed the sudden interest, and also felt the feelings she had kept suppressed burst forward. She began telling the Dark Man about the boy Ash, and how she, Dawn Hikari, had fallen in love with him.

 _~lnnl~_

Dawn finally ended her tale with the news report at Martin's house. The entire time, the man had not even breathed. She sighed deeply, and felt tears leap into her eyes again. She began to cry softly. Dawn felt the man's strong arms wrap around her, but she wasn't afraid. She let the hug envelop her. Dawn could feel the strength in the man's muscles. She buried her face into his chest and breathed in deeply. She stopped crying slowly, and then her breathing calmed. She fell deeply asleep in Ash's arms. He gently laid Dawn down in her bed, and tenderly kissed her forehead. He then slipped from the room silently, and glided down the halls to his own room. He locked the door behind him and sat at the computer. Then, he himself let some tears of his own fall. Ash rubbed his eyes clear, pulling himself together after about five minutes. He opened the search results and then began running filters. Anyone that had records all the way back to their birth was removed from the list. Anyone who was below the age of fifteen was removed. Finally, Ash looked through the list and manually removed the remainder of non-suspicious people, such as the elderly. Finally, he was left with a small list of eight people.

 _Eight people in the Pokémon Centre._ Ash corrected himself. He scrolled through the list, and realized that he fit his own criteria. Ashura Satoshi was on the list of Team Rocket suspects. He chuckled quietly, thinking of the _it takes one to know one_ saying. He removed himself from the list, leaving seven. He scanned down the pictures, and was taken aback when he saw Jessie and James. He thought carefully. Slowly, he removed them from the list. As much as he hated Team Rocket, the Rocket Trio had never been more than he could deal with. That left five potential agents. Ash opened a notes program and typed in their names and room numbers. A noise began to rise from the kitchen.

 _They're preparing breakfast_ , he thought to himself. Now that he knew his friends were staying in the Centre, leaving would be too risky, unless he knew for sure that they were gone. Ash snapped his fingers.

"Of course!" he whispered to himself. Opening his internet browser, he found the schedule for the tournament. Today, Max was participating. Ash smiled, realizing that Max had become a pokémon trainer.

 _Maybe I should go?_ Ash wondered idly. He pushed the thought aside, and looked at the times of the match. The entire group would be gone from at least nine to eleven, assuming they didn't get sidetracked. Ash slipped the mask into his backpack, along with the external hard drive and his laptop. He was ready to go, and now, he could only wait.

 _~lnnl~_

Brock stood in front of the girl's room, looking at his Pokétch anxiously. If they took any longer, Max would be late for his qualifier match. Finally, the girls emerged from their room, and Brock was shocked when Dawn emerged completely ready. Granted, she was very tired, but she didn't drag her feet as much, and she was looking ahead of herself for once. Max grabbed May by her hand and took off down the hall. Misty and even Dawn followed after Max and May at their breakneck speed, and Brock's thoughts once again were consumed by the memory of Ash's hair in the crowd of people. He followed after the rest of the group. As he passed the room 001, he stopped. He turned and looked at it intensely, hoping it would suddenly become transparent. The noise in the lobby had died down, and Brock was left staring in silence. Finally, he raised his hand, intending to knock, but he didn't get the chance. The door flew open suddenly, and there he was. There was Ash, standing in the door. Brock's jaw dropped, and Ash looked simultaneously astounded and terrified.

"Ash," Brock began, but couldn't finish. Ash's arm shot forward and grabbed a fistful of Brock's shirt. Brock only saw Ash's eyes turn black before he was thrown through the air into the wall behind Ash. Brock hit it head-first… Hard. Everything went instantly black.

 _~lnnl~_

Brock awoke with a massive headache.

"Holy shit" was all he could say. He tried to move his arms, but they were stuck at his sides. He opened his eyes. Ash was sitting across from him, muscles bulging against his shirt and mouth set in a stone line. But he was alive. Brock tried to stand, but he was tied to a chair. "Ash, what are you doing?" Ash sighed.

"Brock, let me just say, I am so sorry I knocked you out. I panicked, you know? Just a split-second decision." Brock's head felt like it was splitting open. He was elated to know Ash was still alive. "But Brock," Ash began, and something in his tone made Brock's heart sink. He had never seen Ash so serious. "I need you to do something for me. Or, more accurately, I need you to not do something."

"Wait why am I tied up?" Ash stood, and walked over to Brock.

"I need you to keep this a secret." Brock was thunderstruck. He was convinced he had misheard.

"What?" Ash sighed again.

"I need to be a secret for now. I plan to get rid of Team Rocket, but I can't do it with you guys."

"Why not?" Brock asked. Ash stepped away from Brock, and retold the tale of how he had come to be at this tournament.

 _~lnnl~_

Ash finished his story, and saw that Brock's fists were shaking.

"That's what happened?" Brock asked quietly. His voice was loaded with venom, and Ash was almost taken aback by Brock's sudden aggression. "You were in the house when we thought you were dead! We cried for you! Dawn…" Brock took a second to collect his thoughts. Ash's face conveyed no emotions. When Brock finally spoke, his voice cracked. "Dawn is distraught. She doesn't even eat an entire breakfast. She doesn't sleep at nights." Suddenly, Ash lunged at Brock. Ash grabbed Brock's shoulder, and leaned him back so that he almost fell over.

"And what exactly do you think I've been doing?" Ash's voice was low and steady. "You think I've been able to sleep? No Brock! I've been kept up, consumed by the mission… And by thoughts of Dawn! All I can think about is just forgetting this quest, and just going to her. But then I picture a kid just like me, killed for a few pokémon! I drowned, Brock! I was cooked alive! I killed three people just to get here! I can't just walk away at this point! If you don't stay quiet, you could ruin my plan, and ruin how they see me. So Brock, I'm asking as your friend. Let me tell them when I decide. It's my decision." Brock stared back. He was almost disgusted. The younger boy was something unfamiliar to him. He definitely wasn't Ash. Brock spat on the floor.

"Fine. I won't tell them you're alive." Ash then seemed to morph from the serious killer to the same kid that he had adventured with. But Brock couldn't forget Ash's eyes being pure black. Ash stepped behind Brock and the rope loosened from around his arms. Brock stood up slowly, anger still simmering, and walked to the door. Ash followed behind him, grabbing his bag as he went. Brock opened the door, then stopped and looked over his shoulder at Ash. "I won't tell them because you're still dead to me." With that Brock walked from the room and slammed the door. Ash stood gaping.

 _Dead to me…_ The words echoed in his head. Ash numbly opened the door and watched Brock's hair bob through the crowd. Then, another head bobbed through the crowd after Brock. Directly after Brock. Ash began walking through the crowd, too. Brock turned left once outside the Pokémon Centre, and the hood did as well. Ash burst into the day, blinked twice and followed the hood. Brock was unaware, and Ash was ready to find out who was interested in his friend. After his rendezvous with Dawn the last night, he had made a promise to himself.

 _I promise,_ Ash had thought to himself. _To protect them until my mission is down. They never have to know it was me…_ But Ash was beginning to doubt himself. Already he had caused more damage as himself than as the Mask. Ash first began to lose his grip on his humanity as he walked down the street after the hooded stalker. Avalanches always begin with a trickle of snow.

 _~lnnl~_

 **Alright dudes, this is TheWyrm. Thank you to Doodlefish0 for submitting his OC. And as for the Silver Guardians, I have decided to adopt the story. The newest reincarnation of the fiction will launch next upload. Also, I forgot to mention, Ash is appropriately aged in this fiction, being 21 years old, and all other characters aged similarly.**


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